Exhibit B for my proposed Truth in Trailers Law: "Be Kind Rewind"

Exhibit A remains, of course, "Changing Lanes," which looks like some simple cat-and-mouse thriller but actually had surprising depth and acting, including by Ben Affleck. Did I just say that out loud?

I remember the trailer for "Be Kind Rewind" being damn funny. After all the videotapes at a dumpy video store somehow get erased (interested), two guys -- Mos Def and Jack Black (very interested) -- decide to make their own goofy versions of movies ranging from "Ghostbusters" to "Driving Miss Daisy." (Sold!)

Somehow I didn't see this in the moviehouse last year, but I jumped when we had a free cable weekend recently. Then I wanted to jump off my roof after sitting through the whole thing.

Oh, the homemade movies are funny, as are the mechanics of making them. And Black and ... Def? ... are OK. But both have been a lot better elsewhere. Black alternates between restrained and just weird -- the latter endearing only half the time. Mos Def isn't as much about the ha-ha -- he can act, friends, and I suggest you try "16 Blocks" and "Monster's Ball" if you disagree -- but also isn't amazing.

So we're left with oddball performances by Danny Glover and Mia Farrow and a story that takes waaaaaayyyy too long to get to the funny stuff. In short, the video store building was where this legendary jazz guy was born way back when, and now it's being threatened by redevelopment. Yeah, fine ... I get it. These are real issues. But I really just wanted as many silly versions of movies as possible. The other stuff -- even it it gave this movie depth -- was kind of a drag. And I'm not talking about JB donning a dress for "Daisy."